The Wyoming City Council voted Oct. 20 to enter a short-term agreement to send a portion of the citys biosolids to Grand Rapids for processing at their digester and regional biosolids authority as a roughly six-month pilot, with the option to renew for another six months.

City staff said the contract would route sludge through an existing line to Grand Rapidsand then to the Grand River-area regional biosolids dryer for further processing before landfill disposal. The pilot price is about 6¢–7¢ per gallon, which staff said equates to roughly a 15% savings compared with the city's current land-application costs.

Public and council questions focused on the long-term strategy for biosolids. Staff said a forthcoming engineering study will analyze whether the city should invest in its own digester or dryer; staff cautioned such capital solutions would be expensive, in the multi-tens-of-millions range. "Biosolids are, I think, with this, we'd be spending about $1,100,000 a year," a staff member said, noting the pilot is intended as an interim cost-control measure while the city evaluates long-term options.

Council members also raised environmental and community concerns about increasing landfill disposal and the future of the land-application program. Staff noted some farmers have reduced participation because of concerns about PFAS and other constituents and because hauling distances to available fields are increasing. The council approved the pilot agreement on a roll call vote.